Did you know that WildSmart is a program of the Biosphere Institute, a local charity? Our work relies entirely on donations and sponsors. If you would like to support our community-based efforts to promote human-wildlife coexistence, please donate!
The information below is based upon a compilation of bear information provided by government agencies and unconfirmed sightings reported by the public over the last week. It is not intended to be used as a real-time, complete record of where bears are in the valley.
BEAR ACTIVITY UPDATE (Aug 24-31, 2023)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
The major theme of this week is black bears and they are being seen all over the place in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country! Several black bears have been seen in Canmore accessing fruit trees and three new bear warnings were put in place at Troll Falls, Bow River Campground and Bow Valley Camprgound & Whitefish Day Use Area due to a black bear encounter with hikers, and black bears feeding and moving around campgrounds.
It is that time of year again when bears are preparing for winter and people are going to be out trying to get in their Larch hikes and last few camping trips. Remember that bears are trying to avoid people, so while out in bear country, if you see signs of bears (like tracks and scat), or bear warnings in place, give them their space by turning around or recreating elsewhere.
In order to coexist with wildlife in the Bow Valley, we all need to do our part and remove the fruit from our trees and ground underneath to avoid drawing bears into town! It is our responsibility as residents and good neighbours to make sure that bears do not have a reason to linger in our yards, as they will pay the price for our poor attractant management by getting relocated or destroyed.
Archived photo of a black bear and cub.
It’s a long weekend coming up and the last one of summer! Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution by not leaving garbage out on the trails, in parks or day use areas, and not leaving any food unattended. Bears are actively looking for food in valley bottoms and are at high risk of obtaining food rewards from unsecured human food and garbage. All attractants must be stored in a manner inaccessible to bears! If you see any garbage bins with open lids, please make sure they are closed and secured. If you are down in K-Country and come across any overflowing dumpsters or open garbage bins, please attempt to secure the lid before leaving and report it to Kananaskis Emergency Services (KES) dispatch at 403-591-7755 Ext.4.
The elk rutting season has begun so you may hear some loud bugling! Male elk are particularly protective of the female elk they are with and they may become aggressive towards anything that comes too close. Elk frequently hang out in wide open fields such as school yards and playing fields around town. An idea for parents: have a conversation with your children about giving wildlife lots of space and calmly leaving the area if they see elk or other wildlife. The best way to keep them at ease is to stay at least 30m away - which is three school bus lengths - never try to sneak past them and never get between a male elk and the female elk. Remember to keep pets on a leash, carry bear spray in an easily accessible location, and if an elk charges, consider using your bear spray or position a large object (e.g. car, large tree) between you and the elk. Never approach elk up close as they are wild animals that can react unpredictably!
Bull Elk in Canmore. Photo by Derek Ryder
You can also submit your report using the Report-A-Poacher Online form or contact your local district Fish and Wildlife office.
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
If you plan on doing some camping, remember to keep your campsite clean and garbage free! Make sure that bear attractants such as garbage, food and scented items are kept in vehicles or hard-sided campers while camping. If you are camping in the backcountry, please use the bear proof lockers and bear hangs (if provided). Plan your campsite appropriately and ensure proper separation of cooking area, tent site and food storage. Be prepared to encounter bears out on the landscape whether you are in the backcountry or front country within parks and public lands. You can proactively give them the space they need to feed undisturbed by avoiding areas where bears have been seen or where active warnings have been put in place!
You can also do your part by making lots of noise to alert bears of your presence, travelling in groups, keeping pets on a leash and being aware of your surroundings by not wearing earbuds or headphones. Even if you are going for a leisurely walk around the neighbourhood in Canmore, you should be carrying bear spray and keeping your distance from all wildlife!
Have you recently hiked, biked or ran on a Kananaskis or Bow Valley trail? If yes, we need your help with a research project that will contribute to efforts to improve human-wildlife interactions along Kananaskis trails! The University of Alberta is completing research on recreational trail use in the Kananaskis, Spray and Bow Valleys, which includes trail users’ opinions about trail use and wildlife corridors. Their survey, titled the “Kananaskis Wildlife and Trail Survey” (open Aug 4-Oct 15), focuses on the types of trails recreationists value as well as how potential encounters with bears, as well as trail designation and wayfinding, are incorporated into trail users’ decision making.
This survey complements a survey conducted earlier this summer in Canmore that explored recreation and wary species such as bears, wolves and cougars. They will combine results to support efforts to advance recreation-wildlife co-existence in the Bow and Kananaskis Valleys.
Please complete this 15-minute online survey or scan the QR code below!
Click on image for the Kananaskis Wildlife & Trail Survey.
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
Bears follow their noses and stomachs in search of the easiest meal, which these days in the Bow Valley are crabapples, dogwood, cherries and mountain ash. They are doing their best to pack on as many pounds as possible in preparation for heading into their dens later this fall. Those calories should not be coming from people’s yards as it poses a public safety risk and could cost a bear its life!
A bear's go-to sense is their nose. Let's look up INSIDE a bear's nose to see why their sense of smell is 2,000 times better than ours.
WEEKLY WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WHEREABOUTS
In case you have not seen them yet, our amazing Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors have been heading out onto trails and trailheads to talk to people about responsible trail use and staying safe while recreating in bear country. Note: the locations they go to may change at the last minute. Here is where they will be next…
Sunday September 3 - Upper Kananaskis Lake
Monday September 4 - Banff Central Park and Recreation Grounds
Keep an eye out for the Wildlife Ambassadors next time you are out on the trails in the Bow Valley and K-Country and be sure to say hi and have a chat with them!
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Dangerous elk rutting season underway in Bow Valley.
High profile mama grizzly bear kills mountain goat, forces trail closure near Moraine Lake.
Redesign of Spray Lakes West Campground returns habitat to bears and wildlife.
Black bear accesses 'full cooler' at Two Jack Lake and prompts warning.
Bears encroach on evacuated city of Yellowknife in N.T.
Black bear destroyed after climbing on top of 5-year-old child in Powell River.
As food rots in evacuated B.C. properties, scavenging bears and cougars move in.
Battle for coexistence: Prince George’s bear dilemma prompts calls for enhanced measures.
‘Smelt like bear’: Video of B.C. van intruder prompts reminder from conservation officers.
Tourists caught on cam running towards mother black bear and cubs in Yellowstone.
Woman comes to the rescue spotting a black bear cub with a container stuck on its head!
Letter: A heartfelt thank you from Squamish woman attacked by bear.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Some important reminders about fruit trees for Canmore residents:
Leaving fruit (such as crabapples, mountain ash, chokecherry and dogwood) in your trees can attract bears into residential areas, creating a hazard for people and the children in those neighbourhoods, and also to the bear that may need to be relocated or destroyed if it continues seeking out residential fruit trees.
Residents can be fined for letting fruit and berries accumulate on trees and the ground in their yards as per the new Community Standards Bylaw. Key highlights related to Wildlife Attractants include:
New fruit-bearing vegetation that are wildlife attractants will not be allowed to be planted within Canmore, but it allows existing ones to remain.
No Person shall permit a Wildlife Attractant to be placed or remain in an outdoor location where the Wildlife Attractant is accessible to Wildlife. This means fruit and berries are not allowed to accumulate on existing trees, bushes or on the ground!
No Person shall feed, attempt to feed, or permit the feeding of Wildlife.
Fines can range between $250 to $10,000.
To find out more, view and download the Community Standards Bylaw here.
Removing the fruit from trees in your yard is recommended, but removing the fruit tree itself is the best practice. Fruit trees can be replaced with ornamental, non-fruit bearing trees, that produce beautiful blossoms but are not wildlife attractants.
The Town of Canmore is has Fruit Tree Removal Incentive Program that is now fully subscribed for the 2023 year. More information and details about how to participate in the program next year can be found on their website here.
For those residents who are hesitant to replace their fruit trees, bears that get into fruit trees can cause extensive damage to the trees (as shown below) with the end result of the tree dying and often having to be replaced anyways.
We have extendable fruit pickers and extendable pole saw pruners that can be borrowed free of charge. Please send an email to resource@biosphereinstitute.org to make arrangements to borrow the fruit picking equipment.
Picked fruit can be put in the residential food waste bins around town. Leaves, branches and clippings can be put in the appropriate bins at the Boulder Crescent Recycling Depot.
Click here for more information about fruit trees and bears.
Mountain Ash trees damaged by a black bear in Three Sisters area on Sep.8, 2021. Photo by Bob Cumming.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
This past week, more residents have borrowed our fruit picking equipment to remove the fruit from their trees, including crabapples, mountain ash and cherries, to help keep bears and people safe in the Bow Valley! Good job Canmore!
Don and his daughter Liv in action using our extendable fruit pruner to remove mountain ash!
In other pawsitive news, an upcoming redesign of Spray Lakes West Campground will return habitat to bears and other wildlife. The existing campground is comprised of 50 unserviced, vehicle-accessible campsites located along the shoreline. The current length and layout of the campground negatively impacts the movement of wildlife, with human-wildlife conflicts occurring regularly. Spray West campground and its surrounding area will be closed to accommodate construction activities between September 2023 and the end of June 2024.
The new, reduced campground footprint will improve visitor access to services, help prevent human-wildlife conflicts and improve the ability for staff to operate the site. The project will:
Establish a new layout for approximately 65 campsites (an increase of about 15 sites).
Improve existing washroom facilities.
Designate areas for outdoor recreation opportunities like hiking and dog sledding.
Develop a firebreak.
Designate more than 34 hectares of land, away from the proposed campground footprint, as habitat enhancement areas.
Naturalize decommissioned campsites to create improved wildlife habitat.
To find out more information about this project, including maps of the closed areas, click here!
Construction Closure - Spray Lakes West Campground Refurbishments
UPCOMING EVENTS
Aug. 31 to November 6 - “In our Nature” exhibit at the Three Sisters Gallery
Enjoy the exhibit celebrating the beauty of culture, diversity and inclusion! The show runs from August 31 - November 6 at Three Sisters Gallery on the 2nd Floor in Elevation Place.
Sep. 18 - Earth Talks: Together is Better: Community Green Energy Generation in Alberta
The climate is talking, and communities are listening! Join Jodi Conuel for a presentation and discussion about how community generation is advancing Alberta's green energy transition.
Attendees will learn about:
The importance of community collaboration in effective action and how to build a successful initiative
What is community generation, and how does it work in Alberta?
How can you get involved and benefit from community generation projects?
This FREE Earth Talks event will take place on Monday, Sep. 18th, 2023, in the Friends Program Room at 7:00 pm at the Canmore Public Library. Registration is required to attend in-person, or you can join online LIVE via Zoom by clicking here.
Please remember BEARS CAN BE ENCOUNTERED ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!
Report any sightings of a bear, cougar, wolf or any aggressive wildlife in Kananaskis Country or the Bow Valley to Kananaskis Emergency Services at 403.591.7755